Grip for cable railroads



(No Model.) 7

' O. W. RASMUSEN.

GRIP FOR CABLE RAILROAD'S.

No. 266,521. Patented Oct. 24, 1882.

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CHARLES \V. RASMUSEN OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRIP FOR CABLE RAILROA'DS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,521, dated October24, 1882,

Application filed December 3. 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. RAsMU- SEN,ot' the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grips for CableRailways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of grips usedin connection with cable railways, which are attached to a car or dummyfor the purpose of connecting it with or disconnecting it from aconstantlymoving cable, said grip extending through a slot into a tunnelor tube in which the cable runs, and gripping or releasing the cable topropel'or stop the car.

It has heretofore been difficult, I believe, in grips of the ordinaryconstruction, for the driver or operator to apply the grip graduallyenough to preventsudden jerks and shocks to the car and wear and strainupon the cable when starting the car. "It has also been difficult toprevent the wear on the cable caused by the friction of the cableagainst the gripping-jaws when starting the car and when it is necessarythat it should move at aless speed than the cable--as,for example, whena wagon or other vehicle is being driven slowly in front of the car.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved gripping apparatusfor connecting the car or dummy with the cable, of suitableconstruction, gradually. starting the car or dummy and relieving oravoiding the strain and shock incident to the starting of a car or dummyfrom a standstill instantaneously into full motion, and to obviate thewear on the cable when startingthe car or'dummy, or when the same isrunning at a less speed than the cable. This object of my invention Iattain by the improved mechanism hereinafter fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cable-grip. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the same, a portion being broken away. Fig. 3 is aside View of a portion of the lowerjaw, the side of such portion beingremoved for the better illustration of the rollers and brake mechanism.

(No model.)

In the several figures ofthe drawingslike letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

T designates the erossbeam on thebottom of the car or dummy, upon theplatform of which is placed the usual winding-post, A, having ahand-wheel (not shown) and a pawl and ratchet. To the lower end of thiswinding-post is attached a sprocket-wheel, B, from which there extendsan endless sprocketehain, H, to the screw sprocket-wheel U, which fitson the screw-shaft I), attached by means of the yoke F tothe head G ofthe movable or sliding jaw N. The ends of the yoke F fit over and travelupon the arms E, attached to the cross-beams T by bolts X and sustainingthe fixed jaw M. Thejaws M and N are each divided by a central plate,the central plate of the upper jaw, M, being cut away or channeled outto permit the passage of the head G, which is connected to the centralplate of the jaw N. Since the central plate of the upper jaw is thuschanneled for the passage of the head of the lowerjaw, such centralplate must be of sufficient width not only to furnish a channel for thehead G, but also to leave side supports for the journals'ot' therollers.

Between the sheaves or rollers K are placed the brake-surfaces, ormechanism consisting preferably of brake-plates V, hinged at their topsor connected ends to the pins V. These brake-plates rest upon the rubbercushions R, set into the lugs or cross-pieces 1%, attached to or castwith the side portions of the grippingjaws. By means of these rubbercushions an elastic or yielding action is given to the brakeplates.Uonnected to the sides of thejaws at the end of the brake-plates are thestops R which serve to retain the plates in their proper position. Eachof the jaws M and N is furnished with two sets of the sheaves or rollersK preferably, which are held upon journalbearings seated withinrecessesin the sides of the jaws and their central plates, and are acted upon bythe springs P. I have shown each of the jaws provided with the sheavesor rollers, as such construction will, I believe, best accomplish thepurpose of my invention. My object in providing a double set of theserollers on each jaw is to enable the cable to be readily transferredfrom one to the other when desirable. The sheaves or rollers K may bebodying my invention, 1 wish it distinctly unthe rotation of the latter.

made either plane or concaved, so as to 0011- form to the cable, and thefriction-surfaces or brake-plates may be correspondingly fiat orconvexed to fit the rollers.

Over the rollers K and suitable idlers, S, journaled in the jaws, passthe endless belts I, against which bears the cable 0. These belts may beconstructed of a flat wire rope or chain covered with rubber or leather,if desired, and formed to fit the cable; or they may be made of leatheror rubber alone, or of other suitable material. The belts furnish aneven and soft surface for the cable, and serve effectively to diminishthe friction and consequent wear of the same.

In the ends of the lowerjaw, N, beyond the ends of the upper jaw, M,friction-rollers L are journaled in such manner as to project above thesheaves or rollers K and the endless belts l, and to sustain the cable 0when not clamped by the gripping-jaws.

While 1 have described with particularity what I believe to be the lestmanner of em- (lei-stood that I do not propose to limit myself to theexact construction set out, for it is obvious that it may be extensivelymodified without departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus 1 donot propose to confine myself to any certain kind of brake incombination with the rollers, all that is necessary being that thereshall be a friction-surface placed in such relation to the rollers thatthe action of closing the gripping-jaws upon the cable shall causecontact between such friction surface and the sheaves or rollers, andthus gradually arrest So, also, the endless belts may proveadvantageous, whether the remaining features of my invention be or benot used in connection therewith.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to construct a clutchforcable-cars consisting of a pulley, a foot for holding the rope to thepulley, and a brake upon the opposite side of the pulley from they foot,the said parts being arranged in such relation that a pressure of thebrake upon the periphery of the pulley clamps the rope, and thistherefore I do not claim.

1 do not wish to be understood as claiming broadly in this case thecombination, with the grip, of mechanism to operate the same from eitherend of the car, nor the combination, with the gripping-jaws, of a bandor belt passing over the same, as said subjects are reserved by me toform the subject-matter of another application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A grip for traction-cables, having its vertically sliding jawprovided with a double set of oblong recesses, and with a series ofsheaves or rollers loosely journaled therein, and having brakemechanism, substantially as described, arranged above the series ofrollers and in such relation thereto that the action of clamping thecable will forcethe rollers against the brake mechanism, as set forth.

2. A grip for traction-cables, having gripping jaws, one, at least, ofwhich is provided with spring-seated sheaves or rollers, and with afriction-surface or brake mechanism in such relation to said sheaves orrollers that the action of gripping the cable will force said rollersagainst the frictioit-surt'ace, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the sheaves or rollers of a cable-grip, ofelastic brake mechanism, substantially as described.

4. A grip for traction-cables, having gripping-j aws, one, at least, ofwhich is provided with sheaves or rollers loosely journaled there. in,and with elastic brake mechanism affixed thereto, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a grip for traction-cables, the combination, with thegripping-jaws, of loosely-journaled sheaves or rollers and a band orbelt passing over the same, substantially as described.

6. A grip for traction-cables, having gripping-jaws, one, at least, ofwhich is provided with rollers, and with a belt passing over saidrollers, and with a friction-surface or brake mechanism, substantiallyas described.

7. ].n a cable-grip having a rigid and a movable jaw, thecombination,with the movable jaw,of a screw-shaft,a screw-wheel, andmechanism extending to and connecting said wheel with the winding-postof the car, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the cable-grip, of the screw-shaft l), thesprocket-wheel O, the endless chain H, the winding-post A, and thesprocket-wheel B, substantially as described.

CHARLES w. RASMUSEN. I

Witnessesf ALF. RAsMUssaN, JOHN RAsMUssEN.

